Hotter than Texas (Pecan Creek) - By Tina Leonard Page 0,10
For the briefest of seconds, he wondered if her nipples were pink too, then realized Lucy was watching him stare at her sister’s tight white top. Jake grinned—who, me? Lust? Nah—and went back to working Maggie.
“Think about it,” he said, coaxing.
“Do I have to dress up or anything?”
He pondered that. “A top hat would be perfect. We can probably find one somewhere.”
After a moment, she smiled. “Will you at least ask the committee if we can pass out business cards?”
“Sure.” No. Jake watched Sugar stir something on the stove, sending steaming puffs of sweet fragrance into the air. The whole time he’d been badgering Maggie, Sugar had been moving a whisk speedily around a skillet, making her whole body bounce. He just about had a stiff one watching her tush bob in her tight shorts and her breasts swaying in the fitted shirt. Even her shoulders danced with the stirring. Maybe it was watching a good-looking woman cook, but he was mesmerized like a wolf watching a baby chick.
“Well, then, sure.” Maggie beamed. “I guess since Pecan Creek is our new home, it’s the least I can do.”
“Great.” Jake put his hat on. “I’ll tell the council the good news. In fact, why don’t you come by tonight and let me introduce you?”
Maggie nodded. “I’ll do that.”
“I’ll pick you up just before seven.” Bobby was right. Maggie really was a beautiful woman, once a man got past the stunner Lucy put on a guy and the lure of home Sugar cast over fools who might be looking to get chained to a hearth. Sugar was sexy too, but it had a haunt to it, like she was too vulnerable, whereas Maggie seemed like she’d been run hard and put away wet. Lucy just plain scared the shit out of him. He was pretty certain Lucy had seen a lot in her young life.
He gave Sugar one last glance—peeping in her pan quickly to see what she was whipping up—and saw gently toasted pecans in a mouthwatering sweet sauce. He scented caramel and sugar and maybe a hint of spice. Cinnamon. “Is that the secret recipe?”
“If I told, would it be a secret?” Sugar asked. For a split second, her hazel eyes met his, and he felt something zap him in his chest. Jake tipped his hat, heading out to the door to his truck, before he did something stupid, like find himself attracted to Sugar.
He got in the well-worn black truck, noticing he did, in fact, have a woody of epic proportions. “Damn,” he muttered.
“About those business cards,” Lucy said in his window, and Jake bit back a vivid curse word. “Try not to let my sister down, okay?”
He stared at the full-on sexual appeal that was Lucy Cassavechia as she rapped him on the arm and then turned to sashay back inside the kitchen. Right, left, right, left—it was no wonder Kel had just about lost his mind when he looked at those smooth legs and tight butt cheeks.
Jake felt sweat under his hat band and told himself how fortunate he was that he didn’t dig hot screaming sex with radioactive babes like Lucy.
Their older sisters, maybe.
Hell, yeah.
“I don’t like him,” Lucy said, after Jake had left.
Sugar glanced at her sister as she moved the caramelized pecans to a white dish. “Why?”
Lucy eyed the hot pecans. Maggie stared at the nuts too. “He’s working an angle,” Lucy said.
“Aren’t we all?” Sugar didn’t care about angles. She had enough to worry about without Jake’s angles. Although, truth be told, his bulges would interest her more than his angles. The man was strong and muscular and big everywhere. She had a feeling he knew all the moves a woman liked.
“He stares at you every time he thinks you’re not looking.” Lucy picked at a nail, then bit it off. “If he wasn’t scared of you, he’d try to get you into bed.”
“Scared of me?” Sugar shook her head. “I don’t think Jake Bentley is afraid of me, or much of anything, probably.” He wore his hair long and unbrushed, like he didn’t care. His jeans had been nicely tight and a bit worn the couple of times she’d seen him. He had clean nails, clear skin, a do-me smile—Sugar ignored the shivers shooting over her and stirred the sauce faster.
Maggie picked up a pecan, considering it closely. “We may be getting very close to the proper texture. I just wish I could remember the recipe better.”